My New Obsession {Bible Journaling}

What is Bible Journaling? For me, it's recording what stands out to me in my Bible as a way to connect with the Word and with God. Here's what my Bible Journaling looks like so far:

So here's how I got started on this Bible Journaling adventure...

I feel as though I have had the desire to spend more time in God's Word for quite a while. While I was pregnant was the most consistent I've been with any devotional in a long time. I think this happened because I felt as though I was getting closer to the Lord not for myself, but for my then, unborn child.

After Evan was born, my unhurried time with God went back to being sporadic and I longed for that time again. I jumped on board with Mariel of Living for His Glory and decided to read Lord, Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days by Kay Arthur.  [Side Note: This was an excellent book and introduced me to a simple way to do inductive bible study. I am now working through Kay Arthur's study of John and loving it.] Mariel posted a picture of her Bible and the book and I felt like I needed that bible with the wide margins for my notes. I thought of the many journals of sermon and bible study notes I have and how nice it would be to have all those notes right in my Bible next to the scripture that applied. I contacted Mariel immediately and went on the search for an ESV Single Column Journaling Bible by Crossway.

When searching for the bible to buy, I came across the Journaling Bible Community that was started by Shanna Noel. This totally enhanced the way I planned to use my Bible initially. Here are some of the ladies who I love to follow on Instagram and Facebook to see what they're up to in their Bibles:

Shanna Noel | Stephanie Ackerman | Susyan Crafts

Valerie Wieners | mrsgringas | instatai

Seeing some of these ladies' journaling Bibles intimidated me. At first, I was nervous and didn't consider myself artistic. So, to get me started, I copied things I saw online and in other peoples' Bibles. I then began playing with my handwriting to make it more attractive. And, I would practice what I wanted to put in my Bible on paper first, then transfer it. Doing this got me comfortable enough to just go straight to my Bible. I got over my intimidation and looked at it as MY time with MY God in MY Bible.

The main questions I get are what Bible and supplies do I use...
My Bible: I am using an ESV Single Column Journaling Bible by Crossway. I found it at my local Christian book store, but decided to order the red one (which is out of print) online from Amazon. I will say that the font is really small, but aside from that, I love the Bible.

My Supplies: The main supplies I use are a mechanical pencil, eraser, Micron pens, and Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils. I date my entries with a simple date stamp, but don't consider this a necessity for me. I could easily write the date instead of stamping it. These are the items that travel with me and my Bible. In addition, I have a small stash of stamps, various inks, stencils, alpha stickers, and washi tape for when I'm feeling a bit more creative.

Bible Journaling and Kay Arthur's books have ignited a passion in me for reading God's Word. I can't wait for my time with Him each day. I approach the Word with prayer and am always listening for what God has for me in the passage. Some days my time in my Bible leads me to journal in the margins and some days it doesn't. When something stands out, I start my notes or doodles and go from there. I've started reflecting on my notes from church so that I can be sure to get the main points in my Bible margin. And it has been so rich to come across a passage that I journaled about. As I'm journaling, I find myself meditating on the scriptures and have committed many of them to memory. In addition, I've been sharing my journaling on social media and am amazed at some of the comments and messages I've received from people who have been inspired by it.

So, I'm sharing this with you...
You may choose to start Bible Journaling yourself. If so, be sure to follow the hashtags #biblejournaling  & #illustratedfaith and join the Journaling Bible Community group on Facebook.

Be blessed!

Evan's 6th Month

Happy half birthday to my little man! We made it 6 months! Yay!

This month I became overly worried about Evan's weight because he didn't seem to be gaining much. I think this is why I started rice cereal this month...which was earlier than I planned. I guess I just wanted to get him used to taking food from a spoon so we could jump right into veggies. So, I then started with butternut squash on the day he turned 6 months and Evan loves it.

We finished up our Doc Band treatment as well and Evan's head is shaping up nicely. It was a fast six weeks and I'm excited that we don't have to deal with it while we're traveling for the holidays. As soon as we got rid of the Doc Band, we also got rid of the swaddle. I would have removed the swaddle earlier, but because of the chances of overheating we tried to keep his feet free of socks. I did the swaddle for him to have some coverage at night time.  I'm super excited that Evan is sleeping on his tummy and without a swaddle.

Speaking of sleep, we had a week with no sleep. At the time, I had no idea what was going on. As I look back on the timing, I imagine it was because his first tooth was cutting through.

Weight: 14 lbs 13 oz

Height: 26 in

Size: 0-3 Month Clothes, Size 2 Diapers

Eating: 6 oz bottles every three hours

supplementing with formula

weening from nursing

rice cereal

Sleeping: on his tummy (Yay!)

through the night more often than not

Other:

first tooth came in

reaches for and holds bottle

reaches for Mom & Dad

First Thanksgiving

Did you miss the previous months? See them here!

Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5

Evan's 5th Month

Do you see a big difference in this month's picture? Wait for it....yep! He got a hair cut. :(

The pictures above give me all kids of anxiety. I so did not want to cut his hair, but we had to in order to get accurate measurements for his DOC band. Now that it's done and over with and his hair is growing back and his head is shaping up...it wasn't so bad. And shampooing/detangling hair is much easier.

Evan is adjusting to the DOC band well and we are seeing results.

Weight: 13 lbs

Height: forgot to measure...

Size: 0-3 Month Clothes, Size 1 Diapers

Eating: 6 oz bottles every three hours

Nursing when at home

Sleeping: on his back, swaddled with arms out out

Wakes once or twice a night

Other:

rolls over occasionally

found his toes and chews on them

can take out and put in pacifier

trying to sit up on his own

loves his bouncer

recognizes Mom & Dad

laughs

Did you miss the previous months? See them here!

Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4

Evan's 4th Month

Another month has passed! Wow! I can't believe how fast time is flying. I feel like I'm saying that every month.

I'm not exactly sure, but we think Evan started teething this month. We've now seen lots of drool and the bib seems like a permanent accessory. He's also chewing on everything, but mostly his fingers. We had a week where Evan was waking up 4-5 times a night which is definitely not his norm. We're used to him sleeping through the night or waking on once. Needless to say, that was a rough week. But now, things are back to normal, so that's why I say we "think" he started teething.

We also found out at Evan's 4-month check up that he has a moderate case of plagiocephaly. We are currently looking into treating his flat spot on the back of his head with the DOC band. While Evan's case is moderate and would really only be cosmetic at this point, we are wanting to treat it now while his skull is super pliable. I don't know that any parent wants to see their child in a helmet for months, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not the end of the world and it's only temporary; and my baby is healthy, so I'm thankful.

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ~James 4:14 (ESV)

Weight: 12 lbs 6.5 oz

Height: 24.5 inches

Size: 0-3 Month Clothes, Size 1 Diapers

Eating: 6oz bottles every 4 hours
Nursing in the morning, at night, and all day on weekends

Sleeping: swaddled on his back
Sleeps through the night 2-3 days a week 

Other:

started teething ?maybe?

reaching for objects
can hold his bottle
sucks and chews his thumb
can take pacifier out of his mouth
can put Wubbanub pacifier in his mouth

holding head up for extended periods of time

Did you miss the previous months? See them here!

Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3

Evan's 3rd Month

Three months have passed and Evan is doing great. We've battled a stuffy nose here and there, but nothing major. Putting a humidifier in his room has helped clear that right up. Evan is talking to us much more. His sweet coos just melt my heart. Evan's dad has started taking care of bath time, which has helped with his bonding time and freed up some time for me to get other things done...because there's always something to be done.

The biggest change this month is that Evan started daycare. I must say that I am extremely happy with the daycare we chose thus far. The teachers seem to be taking good care of my baby. They send me pictures and are recording all his milestones. His care sheet is always complete and they are sticking to my schedule as close as possible.

Weight: 13lbs 6oz

Height:  24 in
Size: still wearing some NB clothes
wearing some 0-3 month clothes (finally)
size 1 diapers

Eating: about every 3 hours, nursing and taking a bottle
now taking 5oz in bottles instead of 4oz

Sleeping: in the crib, wakes up once at night
sleeping through the night about 2-3 nights a week

Other:

returns smiles intentionally
doesn't scream in his car seat as much
falls asleep sometimes without being rocked
putting a few fingers in his mouth instead of his entire fist

Evan Talks with Daddy from Kim on Vimeo.

Did you miss the previous months? See them here!

Month 1 | Month 2

{What the Teacher Wore} Wednesday

I started out the school year with a goal of dressing better. I'm really proud of losing all of my pregnancy weight, and want to look it. I was introduced to StichFix and am looking forward to my second box next month, but in the meantime, I'm stalking Pinterest. I have all these outfits saved on Pinterst, but was doing nothing with them. So, what I've done is gone through my pins, and identified outfits that I have all the pieces or similar pieces to put together the outfit. Today's outfit was inspired by this pin.

Top (Target)

Blazer (Kohl's, similar)

Pants (NY&Co, similar, similar)

Necklace (eBay)

I'm so excited to be actually be getting some use out of my Pinterest style boards. When shopping, I now look for specific pieces to complete Pinterest inspired outfits. My goal is to wear one inspired look per week. I've achieved that goal for the first three weeks of school. I'm so looking forward to Fall and breaking out all the scarves. Texas summers are brutal. Never mind the fact that the calendar still says August...I'll be sure to fix that tomorrow! A teacher's work is never done...

Help for the Helper {Scripture Sunday}

God made me a helpmeet. It's in my nature to assist, nurture, and render care. Helping is exhausting. I seem to always be helping others. Sometimes I think "Who helps me?". Psalm 28:7 reminds me that the Lord is my help. When I'm weak, He is strong. When I am vulnerable, He is my shield. When I can't trust my own resources, I can trust Him.

source

There is no way I can help the people and needs that cross my path without the help of the Lord. My prayer is that I will realize that and draw on the Lord for strength and help. I pray also that I am not so burdened by the many tasks in my life where I feel like I need help that I miss the opportunities to help others and share His love.

What's New in F108 {Classroom Tour 2014}

This year is the first time in four years that I've stayed in the same classroom. I'm super excited that I don't have to start from scratch creating the classroom I want to live in. You can see last year's classroom tour here. Of course with less work in the area of classroom decor and arrangement, it gave me time to make some changes and additions.

One of the first changes is that my classroom now seats 32 instead of 24. Teaching Pre-AP comes with larger class sizes. With that, I've added 3-drawer carts at each table to hopefully limit that need for students to be out of their seats. The first drawer is supplies. The second drawer holds interactive notebooks. The third drawer was going to be for textbooks, but they don't fit, so it's a "work in progress" drawer for items that may not be finished and need a place until the next day.

This back board was blank most of last school year. I've added these "Assess Yourself" posters to encourage students to self-assess their work. I've decided to bring back the "A Team," but I plan to do it differently than I've done in the past. I like how this blogger uses sticky notes for his Wall of Champions. I have also added a tutorials schedule with request forms and posters for re-do deadlines since students have 5 school days to re-do assignments under 80 in our district.

There are a couple of changes in this corner of the room. My bulletin board now shows student birthdays for the month and a quote of the week. Then, there's the early finisher tic tac toe that was inspired by this pin. Students complete three assignments in a row to replace their lowest formative grade. I'm excited to see how this works with my students. This is by far the most addition to my classroom that most excites me. I've always looked for an early finisher idea that works for me. I hope this is it!

Not too much change in this corner other than the fact that there's a second weekly agenda since I'm teaching two preps.

The "CUBES Problem Solving Strategy" posters are new. Our new math standards require teachers to teach a problem solving method. I've always done this, but thought that posting it would be good for students. I found these posters free here. You'll also notice that there are a ton of textbooks on the shelf. Gone are the days of just a classroom set of books since with our new textbook adoption, every student gets a consumable textbook.

I didn't get a new desk, but I am determined to keep it cleaner and more organized this year. And you know that Evan's pictures had to get added to the wall.

This clipboard hangs next to my desk. I'm not the person who misses school unexpectedly. But, with a newborn, I imagine the chances of an emergency absence are higher. For that reason, I thought it wise to prepare some sub plans and emergency lessons. I've seen lots of sub binders on Teachers Pay Teachers and Pinterest that were geared towards elementary and way too cumbersome for me. This substitute flip book was perfect for my classroom. You can find it here.

I'm hoping that I've made changes that will encourage student learning and help me with organization. Remember, if you didn't tour my classroom last year, you can see it here.

Evan's 2nd Month

Month 2, we ventured out of the house a bit. We went to several classes/group meetings at the hospital where I gave birth. Some of those included breastfeeding support, new moms group, and baby yoga. I also was introduced to baby wearing and love my Moby wrap. It's the only way we survive going out since Evan screams bloody murder int he car seat. It's also a way to get things done with hands free around the house when Evan wants to be held (which seems like all the time).

We introduced a bottle as we prepare for me to go back to work and Evan is drinking from a bottle like a champ. It almost made me sad that we lost out on something only I could do for what seems like so long. We're still nursing and getting our cuddle time though.

One of the hardest parts of month two has been watching all the changes in his skin. There's been lots of acne and dry skin, but it seems to be clearing up.

Weight: 9lbs 15oz

Height: 22.25 in
Size: still wearing NB clothes
moved up to size 1 diapers

Eating: about every 3 hours, nursing and taking a bottle

Sleeping: in the crib, wakes up once at night

Other:

takes a pacifier
smiles at everyone

talking up a storm with his sweet coos

found his hands and is putting them in his mouth

enjoys baby yoga and Gymboree

loves to play high five

Evan Plays High Five! from Kim on Vimeo.

Did you miss the previous months? See them here!

Month 1

Evan's 1st Month

It seems as though every time I put my son down, there is always something to do: laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, pumping, lesson planning...always! Well, I decided that thing to do this morning is a blog post. Those chores will still be there when I finish.

I'm happy to report that I survived the first two months as a mommy. And Evan has survived his first two months of life. Success!

As a teacher, I always look forward to June, July, and August. This summer was spent very differently than my normal teacher summer, though. I got a bit stir crazy being in the house with a newborn, but when it came time to go back to work, all I wanted was to be in the house with my sweet boy.

Typing this almost three months late, it's really hard to remember what happened during month one. My main task was to make sure Evan was fed, and breastfeeding was hard. It has definitely gotten easier though...with the help of friends, a breastfeeding support group, and time.

Our first month was spent pretty much in the house all day every day. It was a time of learning and sometimes frustration, but most of all a building of love like no other. We had lots of visitors and I am so thankful for the wonderful people we have in our lives.

Weight: 8lbs 9oz

Height: 20.75 in

Eating: about every 3 hours, latching on well

Sleeping: great when cuddled in the arms of mom or dad
Only sleeps about 30 min at a time when in the crib.
The rock and play sleeper and sleep sheep have been
amazing for getting longer stretches of sleep.

Other:

rolls to his side when sleeping

hates the car seat

starting to smile

Introducing Evan {Birth Story}

I've been MIA, but with good reason. Becoming a mom is a definitely a task.

Our little boy was due on June 8th, but decided not to come then. With my husband and my doctor, we decided to be induced on Thursday, June 12th. I was scheduled to go in the night before for Cervidil to ripen the cervix and then labor would be induced the next morning with Pitocin. This was such a hard decision because I somewhat felt seflish for choosing my son's birth day instead of letting him come in his own time. I cried and prayed and was still a bit uneasy after we made the decision.

My parents went ahead and drove in from Louisiana and were here in time to accompany us to the hospital. I was so happy to have them here. They are amazing parents and the only thing better is that they get to be grandparents to my son.

The check-in process at the hospital was so smooth and everyone I was cared for by was amazing. We got settled in about 7:30 and started the Cervidil by 8:30. When I got to the hospital I was still only 1 cm dilated and about 50% effaced.

Me, my OB, and my night nurse.

Painful contractions started around 2 am and my water broke a little after 2:30 am. The nurse asked if I wanted something to take the edge off. I asked for the epidural. At 3 am, I was finally dilated enough to get the epidural and got that on board about 3:30 am. After about 30 minutes, my legs were heavy, but I could feel nothing. I hoped to get some sleep, but that didn't happen. In the morning, I was dilated to 6 cm and we began Pitocin to get stronger contractions. (Side Note: Every time they checked my cervix, they kept telling us that our baby had so much hair. My husband was so nervous that baby would come out and be a girl instead of a boy.) I was fully dilated when checked at 10 am. 'm not sure when I started pushing, but it took two contractions and a total of six pushes to meet my baby boy at 11:01 am.

Evan was born June 12, 2014 @ 11:01 am

6 pounds 4 ounces & 19 inches

The past six weeks have been tiring, invigorating, trying, interesting, stressful, blissful, a learning experience, a blessing. I am so in love with Evan and I have a whole new love for my hubby because of the way I see that he loves our son.

I appreciate your prayers, well wishes, and words of encouragement. I am so grateful for the community we have at home and online.

Hopefully I'll get back to blogging, but I'm not making any promises. Being a mommy consumes my day and I'm okay with that!